Doctor Helps SF Giants Broadcast Reporter Get Her Voice Back

上个棒球赛季, San Francisco Giants in-game reporter Amy Gutierrez, 更广为人知的名字是“Amy G,“在一次家庭活动中失声. 她联系了 UCSF语音和吞咽中心, which treats patients with voice, swallowing and airway disorders. 的耳鼻喉科专家, 头颈外科十大赌博平台排行榜, speech pathologists and vocal trainers collaborate to help professionals like Gutierrez regain their voices and keep their pipes going for the long haul.

当古铁雷斯打电话给加州大学旧金山分校时, she got an appointment that same morning, and by the first pitch that afternoon she was reporting live from AT&T公园.

Can you describe your job, for those who aren't San Francisco Giants fans?

谈话是我的工作. I'm a broadcast member with CSN (now NBC Sports) Bay Area for the San Francisco Giants. 比赛前, 我正在参观俱乐部会所, 与玩家交谈, 收集广播报道的想法, going to managers' meetings to get lineup and injury information. 到了晚上, I have my first "hit" or on-air game report and usually do several hits throughout the game. After a win, I do a post-game interview with the hero of the game.

Losing your voice is not an option in my line of work. Since I'm a contractor, I'm paid for the games I work. If I'm unable to speak, it results in a financial loss.

你以前失声过吗?

I usually lose my voice about once a year. I was actually taken off the broadcast in 2009 after my first hit in the game, 在第二局左右. I started having trouble with my voice the night before and it rapidly declined. My broadcast partners Kruk and Kuip [Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper] said I did my best Marlon Brando impersonation, but I wouldn't be able to finish out the game. Luckily, the one other time I lost my voice, the team was on the road. Since I only work home games, I didn't have to file any reports.

How do you usually cope with losing your voice?

I drink lots of tea and try to not speak at all, 甚至连耳语都没有, since I've been told whispering is stressful for the vocal cords. 茶疗法是一个漫长的过程. It definitely helps soothe the throat, but once the voice is gone, only time brings it back.

How did you learn about UCSF's 声音和吞咽中心?

我去找了一个同事, 巨人电台播音员戴夫·弗莱明, and asked what he does when he loses his voice. He referred me to UCSF and his voice doctor. I called them and explained my situation. I told them it wasn't a "real" emergency, but more of a work emergency for me. They got me an appointment that morning so I could be treated before the Giants game.

他们在你的预约中做了什么?

The laryngologist took pictures and some video of my vocal cords. They were swollen and inflamed, so I received a steroid shot to help with the inflammation. My appointment was extremely short, since I had to be at the game. 效果不是立竿见影的. The doctor said it would take about 12 hours to start working, and 24 hours to feel a difference.

She told me I might see a slight improvement by game time, but the best thing would be to rest my voice and body. I was limited to three hits in that game, and Kruk and Kuip did the post-game interview instead of me.

Did you find out why you lost your voice?

The laryngologist explained that voice loss can occur for several reasons, but came to the conclusion that mine was most likely caused by stress. I believe this is something that can occur regularly, 不一定是因为我的工作, but because of how I handle stress during hectic times in my life. The last three years it's happened in August or September, when the schedule for my husband – Paul Gutierrez, who works as Comcast's Raiders Insider – ramps up for football season. Plus, my kids go back to school and life in general is busy. 十大赌博平台排行榜没说这很常见, but she said it may be how my body reacts to stress and changing hormone levels.

If you lose your voice again this season, what's your game plan?

If it happens again, I'm going to see an laryngologist! Thanks to her care, I had improvement within 24 hours. In previous years, it was days of healing with weeks of residual gruffness in my voice. The gruffness was not that big a problem. It actually makes my voice lower, which is better for a broadcaster.

Once I get my voice back to a certain level, 压力消失了, because I know I've been through the worst of it and it's not going to go out again for a while. It's like recovering from a cold – gradually improving every day.